C Minor 9th
Cm9
Notes
C · E♭ · G · B♭ · D
Intervals
- RootC (1P)
- Minor 3rdE♭ (3m)
- Perfect 5thG (5P)
- Minor 7thB♭ (7m)
- Major 9thD (9M)
Fretboard
Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.
Voicings & shapes
Rootless voicings (A / B form) (4)
About
The Cm9 minor ninth (C–E♭–G–B♭–D) extends a minor 7 with a ninth. The D sits above the B♭ and adds an expressive, singing quality. The essential tones are the E♭ (minor identity), B♭ (seventh extension), and D (defining color); the 5th can be dropped to keep voicings clear. m9 chords appear frequently in jazz, neo-soul, and ambient styles as tonic or pre-dominant harmony — for example as ii in a major ii–V–I (Cm9 → F9 → B♭Maj9). Compared to Cm7, the added 9th gives more emotional dimension without increasing tension.
Chord diagrams
C Minor 9th voicing charts — tap a sheet to open it full size to save or print.
Similar chords
Chords sharing two or more notes with this one, ranked by overlap.
Scales containing this chord
- C Dorian (I)
- C Natural Minor (I)
- A Locrian (III)
- A♭ Lydian (III)
- B♭ Major (II)
- B♭ Mixolydian (II)
- D Locrian (VII)
- D Phrygian (VII)
- E♭ Lydian (VI)
- E♭ Major (VI)
- F Dorian (V)
- F Mixolydian (V)
- G Harmonic Minor (IV)
- G Natural Minor (IV)
- G Phrygian (IV)
Scales whose notes include every chord tone. The Roman numeral (or scale degree) marks the chord root’s position in the scale.